| 词组 | litotes |
| 释义 | litotes Litotes is a classical rhetorical device with a classical name—it is a form of understatement in which you assert a positive by using the negative of the contrary. The common expression "not bad" is an example. Litotes often takes the form not un- (as in "not unlikely") and in this form constitutes an acceptable kind of double negative; however, litotes does not require two negatives. Not a few commentators have entries at litotes. Most of them are content to explain the term; a few have reservations about it. Safire 1980 does not care much for it; his objection is primarily to the not un- version. Howard 1978 quotes George Orwell in disapproval; again the not un- form is the one criticized. Kilpatrick 1984, however, notes that litotes can be used to convey subtleties not easily expressed otherwise. Everybody is against overusing the device, which is a sound enough principle. Reader's Digest 1983 warns that it can be ambiguous, and ambiguity may underlie Safire's objection, since his example is one garbled in speech by a secretary of defense. The idea of litotes, the textbooks say, is to get emphasis by means of understatement. Bernstein 1958 suggests that humor and sarcasm are possible, too: • i spoke to goody this a.m., and dropped several hints that you would not be averse to getting a few laughs on the tallulah show come Sunday —Fred Allen, letter, 30 Apr. 1951 • He was not unaware that in his dress and as the owner of a car he was a provocation to many white people —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1975 Litotes can also be found in a number of fixed expressions: • ... enclosing a check ... , and telling me in No Uncertain Terms, what I could do with it —Frank Sullivan, letter, 25 Oct. 1965 See the entry at not too for one of these fixed expressions that some commentators dislike. You will also find litotes mentioned at double negative 2. |
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